Report: Yankees Rejected Blockbuster Trade For Three-Time All-Star
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the price Baltimore set was steep enough that New York walked away.
Heyman reports the Orioles asked for catcher Austin Wells, pitching prospect Elmer Rodriguez, outfield prospect Yostin Pena, and either Will Warren or Ryan Weathers.
Three of those four have already played in the majors.
Pena, who turns 19 this month, was the sticking point.
Heyman called his inclusion "one big sticking point" in the talks.
Baltimore Gave Its Rivals A Last Chance
Heyman framed it as the Orioles giving the Yankees and Rays one final opportunity to top Boston's offer.
It isn't clear whether the four-player package was Baltimore's last ask.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said at the deadline that he'd talked with the Orioles about Rutschman, but the two sides couldn't agree on a deal.
Orioles trade request to send Adley Rutschman to Yankees this trade deadline, per @JonHeyman: Austin Wells Elmer Rodríguez Yostin Pena Will Warren OR Ryan Weathers https://t.co/8OPPlpBL5E
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) October 1, 2026
Rutschman, a three-time All-Star and the first overall pick in 2019, had been sidelined for a few weeks with wrist inflammation.
He also had a year and a half of team control left.
Boston won the bidding on August 3.
The Red Sox sent catcher Carlos Narvaez and prospects Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, and Harold Rivas to Baltimore for Rutschman, catcher Jake Rogers, and cash.
Eyanson, Witherspoon, and Azocar ranked as Boston's second-, fourth-, and fifth-best prospects.
October Made The Decision Look Smart
The Yankees swept Boston out of the AL Wild Card Series, winning 9-0 and 9-2.
The Red Sox were outscored 18-2 and hit .117 as a team across the two games.
Rutschman went 1-for-8 in the series.
He also made two costly mistakes in Game 2, including a throwing error on a stolen base that sent Spencer Jones to third in the inning that turned into a six-run Yankees rally.
Jon Heyman revealed the trade package that the Orioles asked the Yankees for in exchange for Adley Rutschman. Austin Wells Elmer Rodríguez Yostin Pena Will Warren OR Ryan Weathers https://t.co/8oJaI5FLq5
— Everything Yankees (@eyyankees) October 1, 2026
Wells, the player Baltimore wanted most, had a good finish to the regular season, posting a .746 OPS in August and an .830 OPS in September.
He drove in two runs in the Game 2 win. Rutschman had posted a .688 OPS in 32 games with Boston before the series.
New York kept the whole group intact through the deadline, and now heads to Tampa Bay for the ALDS with Warren and Weathers both in its bullpen mix.
